For the last three years, Cleveland Clinic researchers have been studying the possibility of repurposing a well-known drug called Sildenafil for Alzheimer’s disease.
Now, there’s more data to show that it could be effective.
For those unfamiliar, Sildenafil (or Viagra) is normally used to treat individuals with erectile dysfunction or high blood pressure.
However, researchers have discovered that the drug could also be beneficial when it comes to preventing and possibly treating Alzheimer’s.
According to Dr. Feixiong Cheng, who led the research, they looked at computational models, insurance claims data, and brain cells in Alzheimer’s patients.
Based on what they found, Sildenafil appears to lower levels of certain proteins in the brain, which are linked to Alzheimer’s.
Results also indicate boosted cell growth, brain function and reduced inflammation.
Cheng said repurposing a drug that’s already on the market is much more affordable than creating a new one.
Plus, it could be made available to the public a lot sooner.
“I think the next step is we’ll work together with our colleagues and physicians here to try and conduct a randomized clinical trial and really prove this drug may have both prevention and even intervention effects in our Cleveland Clinic patients as well,” said Cheng.
Cheng said it’s important to emphasize that while early research has been hopeful, people should not use this drug for Alzheimer’s prevention purposes.